Book Musings - The Ugly Stepsister by Aya Ling

When Kat accidentally rips apart an old picture book, she's magically transported into the world of Cinderella--as Katriona, one of the ugly stepsisters! Life turns upside down now that she’s a highborn lady and must learn how to survive the social season, including how to get through the door in a huge metal hoop skirt. To get back, she'll have to complete the story, right to the end of happily ever after. But the odds are huge: the other stepsister is drop-dead gorgeous, the fairy godmother is nowhere to be found, and the prince, despite being insanely hot, openly dislikes balls. Can she ever return to the modern world?

My Musings :
I confess that the first thing which attracted me to the book was the book cover. The blue kind of overwhelmed me. But the second I read the blurb, I was sure that I was going to read this book ASAP! I love the Cinderella story and if it comes with a twist? Then it's time to cozy up for a read. The premise of a torn book distorting a known fairy tale was very intriguing. I had to read it to satisfy my curiosity.

This is an original take on a classic fairy tale. If you are looking for the usual retelling then this book isn't for you. If you are one who loves twists to tales and thinks out of the box, then you will love this book. Trust me!

The book starts off with the introduction of Kat and her trip into fairyland. And then it's a ride through the lives and emotions of the characters involved in the story to a satisfying but sad finish. I will get back to the end part later on. Right now let me tell you what I liked .. no.. loved about the book. Where to start? Ok, let's go with the characters. I love Kat, obviously. Though she is clumsy in certain areas, the inner lady comes out in others. She made me her fan with her fight within herself for doing the right thing on one side and to do what is required of her for getting back to her family. I felt so bad for Edward because he falls in love with a person who's to leave soon. The other characters add more dimensions to the story among whom Elle and Henry stand out for me with Elle being a strong character inspite of her station in life and Henry being a loveable geek.

The plot is same as the classic tale but with the spotlight on Kat and this adds to the appeal of the book. The antics Kat goes through to get Edward to fall for Elle were hilarious. I was in turns smiling and sniffling while reading the book. It was a fast read because of its variation from the usual. It kept me wanting more, to learn more about Kat and Edward and how it will all play out at the end. The writing flowed with little difficulty and this enabled me to get the book read in a short order.

And coming to the ending, this part broke my heart. Though I liked how it was done in the last chapter, I still felt sad in one corner of my heart. Sighs.... But it was all for good. Now I can't wait to see if the author would continue this as a series of other fairy tales..

I will conclude saying that if you are a romantic like me, you will love this book! Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

My one line review : A classic fairy tale with an original twist to it.... My rating : 5/5My reread factor : 4/5